Happy in the Snow
by Rhov
Summary: Why in the world would Wendy steal Natsu's scarf? And why is she last seen leaving with Gray? Natsu gets jealous as he wonders if Juvia is right, and Wendy is a potential love rival. Just how perverted is the stripper? Gratsu Week - Day 2: Rival in Love


_A/N: This was written for Gratsu Week going on from July 30th to August 6th. Come drop by and see all the cool fanart.  
_**gratsu-week. deviantart com**_  
_**gratsu-week. tumblr com**

_Day 2 - Theme: Rival in love_

* * *

**Happy in the Snow**

a _Fairy Tail_ fanfic

by Rhov

"_Where the hell is my scarf?_"

The enraged roar of the Fire Dragon Slayer was heard all through the guild hall and probably a quarter of Magnolia.

Erza looked up from her cake. "You lost your scarf?" This truly was a first in the history of Fairy Tail.

Lisanna also looked astonished. "But Natsu, you wear that scarf everywhere."

"It got knocked off while I was fighting Elfman. I saw it land on this table," he said, punching the table so hard, it splintered in two. "I had to run to the bathroom, and when I came back it was gone. Where the hell is it?"

Amidst the faces of astonishment, confusion, and annoyance, Natsu saw Lucy looking aside nervously. He bolted over to where she was sitting and looked right into her face, way too close for her comfort.

"Where is it, Lucy?" he asked in a dangerously low tone.

The blonde flushed at his nearness and whimpered meekly. "I don't know where it is, but I saw Wendy pick it up..."

Natsu sighed and relaxed. "Well, if it's Wendy it's okay."

"And then she handed it to Gray," Lucy went on quietly. "They left together just a few minutes ago."

Natsu blinked in confusion. "Wendy...and Gray?" Natsu was bewildered. What did this mean?

"There must be a reason," Lucy shrugged, equally confounded by it all. "Wendy would never just steal your scarf."

"No, but that damn stripper would. He probably blackmailed Wendy to take it."

"No, she took it on her own. Gray didn't notice it until they were leaving. He said something about taking it is a 'good idea,' and then the two left."

"So Wendy _did_ steal it! And what are those two doing together anyway?"

Juvia popped up out of nowhere. "Juvia senses another love rival. Wendy is hoarding Gray-sama almost more than Lucy."

Lucy sighed and rolled her eyes. "I do _not_ hoard Gray."

"Wendy and Gray-sama went out for ice cream together yesterday."

"What!" Natsu shouted. "Like a...a...a date? Wendy and the stripper were on a date?"

Romeo dropped the mug of hot cocoa he was drinking. "No way! Wendy-nee went on a date? Like, a real date?" He looked utterly devastated by the news.

"Oh?" Erza asked, now interested in the conversation. "Wendy's going straight for the older boys, eh? How mature of her. First Doranbolt, now Gray. At least she has good taste."

Juvia had to agree. "Yes, but..._not my Gray-sama!_"

Warren was sobbing. "Why would Wendy-tan chase after Gray? What has he got that I don't?"

Max glared at the lolicon mage. "A firm set of abdominal muscles and good hairstyle, for one."

Lucy shook her head. "I really don't think it was a date."

"That's right," Romeo shouted. "Wendy's not that type of girl."

Warren wailed. "Whyyyyy not?" Max walked away, pretending he didn't know the man.

Juvia eyes burned in jealousy. "Just when Juvia thinks at least one girl in the guild is safe, she turns out to be a miniature love rival in disguise."

Natsu growled. "Chasing after little girls! I'm gonna punch that stripper a few times, just to knock some sense into him. And then I'm gonna give Wendy a spanking for stealing my scarf."

"Good!" Juvia nodded. "Spank little girls so they grow up proper, and not turn into creepy sex-crazed women."

Lucy muttered under her voice, "Like you're one to talk!"

Warren cried again, although no one was paying attention to him anymore. "Why can't I spank her?"

Laki glared at him. "Because if you do it, it's perverted sexual harassment."

Natsu was still livid. "If she's trying to impress Gray by annoying me, she's got another thing coming!"

As Natsu stormed out of the guild hall, Juvia called after him. "Just don't hit Gray-sama in the face. Juvia doesn't want his face so puffy that Juvia can't kiss Gray-sama in his sleep while tending his injuries."

Erza glared over at her. "You kiss Gray in his sleep? I think you and I need to have a talk."

Natsu crunched over the frosty street and out into Magnolia, which was pure white with three days of constant snowfall. He hated those cold flakes that fell so softly from the sky. They reminded him of the icy touches of his rival.

"What's up with him and Wendy anyway?" Natsu fumed, heating the air around him into steam to keep the tiny cold kisses of snow away from his inflamed skin. "Does he think he can just run off and date someone without telling me? What if I also liked Wendy? Not that I'm interested in little girls, but what if I was? I bet he's dating her purely because he thinks it'll make me jealous. That perverted exhibitionist has always been annoying, always trying to rile me up, but this is too far. You don't bring girls into a rivalry like this. You just...don't! It's like...what do they say? 'Bros before hoes'? Yeah, something like that. And how dare Wendy seduce him by stealing my scarf! Does she think that would impress Gray? You do _not_ mess with the scarf Igneel gave me. At least Gray knows what that scarf means to me, but Wendy should understand just as well."

Natsu sniffed the air and followed Wendy's and Gray's scents. He stomped forward like a raging firestorm out to burn the world. The scent led him out of the city and toward the nearby snowy woods.

"What the hell is he doing way out here?" Natsu wondered as he crunched through high, frosty drifts that crackled mutedly under his boots.

Now he could see the footprints in the snow, but what was odd was that they were not a single set. For one, there were two sets, a large men's boot print, and a tiny shoe print: definitely Gray and Wendy. However, there was only one set of the tiny footsteps, but the large boots were in three sets, as if Gray had walked out into the woods, walked back to town, then recently—judging on the freshness of the treads that had not been filled in by falling snow—he returned to these woods with Wendy.

Finally, Natsu heard a voice up ahead and recognized Gray's deep pitch.

"I'm really glad you came, Wendy."

"Of course I'd come, Gray."

"Are you feeling okay? Is it too much?"

"I'm fine for now, but we shouldn't rush things. If I try to force myself, it'll only hurt me."

"I won't rush you, Wendy, but I don't want you to get too cold out here. Do you need me to warm you up?"

"Maybe a little. Can I sit on your lap, Gray?"

"Of course. Sit right here. You can lean against me too, if you need."

Natsu felt his face go cold and pale. "No way," he whispered. "Is he truly dating Wendy? That's...no way!"

Wendy spoke again. "The scarf was a good idea."

"It really was. I'm glad you took it."

Natsu felt dizzy with confusion. "Wendy...took it? She took my scarf? Why would she take my scarf?"

Suddenly, Wendy gave a cute squeak. "H-Hey! Where are you touching?"

"Huh? Aah, sorry. I'm...I'm not used to this."

"Just hold me, Gray."

"Uh...how?"

"Put your hands here and here. Yes, like that."

"W-Wendy..." Natsu whimpered. His ideal image of sweet, angelic Wendy was shattering as he listened in. "That bastard! I knew he was a pervert, but a lolicon too? And Wendy...she has to tell him how to hold her? What the hell? Is she that much more experienced than Gray? Are those rumors about her and Doranbolt true? No way! She's...so young! Is she really seducing Gray?" He felt a surge of jealousy. "That's absolutely unforgivable!"

The Fire Dragon Slayer rushed forward and shouted, "Hey, you two!" He finally saw them, Gray sitting on the snow, Wendy sitting in his lap, his arms wrapped partly around her, rubbing through her sleeves to keep her warm. "Get your hands off her, Gray! I won't allow you to touch any of our teammates except me, got it? And Wendy, how can you...?"

Suddenly, he realized that Wendy's hands were stretched out, glowing with magic. Just under them, he saw Happy lying in the snow. Natsu gasped at the blood that matted the blue fur and stained the surrounding white snow. Tufts of fur had been ripped out, covering the small clearing where, obviously, Happy had been in a bad fight. Natsu rushed forward, plowing his way through the snow drifts.

"Happy! Bastard, what did you do to Happy? And where's my..." Natsu froze as he saw the white muffler wrapped around the blue cat. "...scarf?" he whispered in surprise and confusion.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried out. "Thank goodness you came. Quick, help us warm up Happy, but don't lift him. He's too injured."

Gray pulled his hands off Wendy with a sigh of relief. "Warm up Wendy too, if you can. She rushed out so fast, she forgot to grab her jacket."

Natsu raced over the snow and slid down onto his knees in front of his best friend. He looked panicked as he saw all the blood splattered over the ground and the bruises that were showing through the fur. He held his hands out to the unconscious Exceed and heated the air around him. The snow melted away, and it washed the blood aside as it liquefied.

"What the heck happened?"

"We're not sure, and Happy hasn't woken up yet," the little girl answered. "Gray came across him, knocked out cold, injured badly, and nearly frozen to death, so he came to the guild to find you, but you had just stepped out."

"You left Happy here alone, in the snow, with an enemy possibly still around?" Natsu yelled furiously.

"Look closer, idiot," Gray grumbled. "He's twisted at a bad angle. His spine looks like it might be broken. You can't move someone with an injury like that."

Wendy nodded in agreement. "That's right. You have to be very careful. Lifting someone with a back or neck injury could make the injuries worse," she explained.

"I wanted to get you and Wendy both, but I didn't see you around the guild hall. I wasn't willing to wait."

"By the time we arrived," Wendy said, looking worried, "Happy was nearly frozen to death."

"He was covered in snow when I first found him," Gray related, looking down at the Exceed with deep concern. "I had to dig him out, but I noticed his neck was twisted badly. I tried to stay and warm him, but I...I couldn't! My body is too cold to warm him up. I didn't have my clothes—not sure where they went this time. It was Wendy who was smart enough to take your scarf."

"Sorry if it upset you," Wendy apologized sincerely. "I didn't know where you went, and when Gray told me Happy's condition, I didn't want to wait a single minute. I figured you'd follow the scent of the scarf, plus we could use it to keep Happy warm. I knew you'd understand once we could explain it properly."

Natsu's anger melted instantly. "No, it's...it's fine. Thanks. So you two...you're not...up to anything, are you?"

Gray blushed at the accusation "What sort of perverted ideas are you dreaming about now, flame-brain?"

"Hey, it wasn't just me thinking it. Juvia said you went on a date."

Wendy went crimson. "A...d-d-d-date?"

"That's absurd," Gray shouted. "Wait...oh God, that stalker woman! Sheesh! She must have seen when I took Wendy out for ice cream. She did good in school. I told her that if she was in the top twenty of her class, I'd treat her to ice cream. She's ranked number five." He patted Wendy's head proudly. "That's the sort of promises you make with kids, ya know. I didn't mean anything by it, and Juvia is really psychotic if she thinks otherwise!"

"I see," Natsu muttered, feeling a strange sense of relief. "That's good." He felt really awkward now. "Hey, are you warm enough, Wendy?"

"Oh, yes, thank you very much, Natsu-san."

"And how about you?" he asked Gray. "You must be cold, trekking back and forth so much."

"A little snow like this won't faze me," the Ice-Make mage boasted.

"Even an ice princess like you would get chilly in a storm like this. Maybe I should warm up your body, too."

Gray's eyes went huge.

Wendy's ears began to steam while her face went pure red. The little girl muttered over and over, "I didn't hear anything. I didn't hear anything."

Gray gawked at Natsu. "You should...what?" he whispered, totally flabbergasted.

"Warm up your body," Natsu shrugged. It took him a few seconds. "_**Not like that, pervert!**_"

"How the hell do you expect me to take it?" Gray shouted back. "Even Wendy thought you meant it _that way_."

The Sky Dragon Slayer repeated again, "I didn't hear anything."

"I...I didn't mean it that way at all. Sheesh! I'm just trying to be a little nice here." He looked down forcefully, letting the snowflakes cool off his burning cheeks. "You saved Happy's life. I owe you. I don't like being in debt, especially to a stripper like you, so maybe...you know...I can treat you to some hot cocoa...purely as thanks for saving Happy."

"Oh," Gray said, and he looked aside, feeling hot despite the winter snow. "Cocoa sounds good."

"Good," Natsu said awkwardly. "Um...and sorry if I was mad about the scarf. It's just a really important thing to me."

"I know that, idiot. I'd never do anything bad to something that precious to you."

"Oh...okay. Good." Natsu shifted his weight a little. "Thanks," he mumbled.

"You can shut up about it already," Gray told him.

Wendy finally released the magic circle above Happy's body. She politely rose off of Gray's lap. "Thank you for letting me sit on your legs."

"Sitting for that long in the snow would have given a little girl like you frostbite," Gray reasoned.

"How's Happy?" Natsu asked worriedly.

"The bleeding stopped, and I cured some frostnipped areas. He'll still be weak, and he shouldn't move around much for a few days, but we can carry him back home now."

Natsu scooped Happy into his arms and carried him like an infant. Gray came forward and helped by tucking the thick, white, scaly scarf around the furry body to keep Happy warm. Natsu smiled plaintively as he saw Happy curl into his chest and mutter about fish. Wendy watched the three and giggled softly.

"What is it?" asked Gray.

Her cheeks were still a little pink. "You just look good together, like two parents doting over a baby."

Natsu and Gray leaped away from one another with horrified looks.

"Like...like parents?" Gray asked in shock.

"No way!" Natsu laughed tensely.

Wendy looked innocently happy. "It's cute!" Then she walked back across the snowy path leading to Magnolia.

Natsu and Gray looked at each other, then in opposite directions, stubbornly ignoring one another.

"I'm just worried about Happy," Gray insisted.

"Same here."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Whatever. You still owe me hot cocoa."

"Yeah, yeah. I need to head home first and get Happy tucked into bed."

"I'll help. Cocoa can be another day. Let's worry about Happy today."

"Sounds good. And...thanks."

"Stop thanking me, flame-brain."

"Sheesh, I'll never thank you again if you can't accept it nicely, perverted stripper."

"Shut up, furnace face!"

"You shut up..."

Meanwhile, Happy heard the two rivals arguing and smiled in his sleep, feeling safe and secure with the Fire Dragon Slayer and the Ice-Make mage nearby.

**The End**


End file.
